Akihiro Ishihara, the general director of The Idolmaster series, has left Bandai Namco Entertainment, the company announced.

“There is no one reason for my leave,” Ishihara said in a blog post on The Idolmaster blog, “but one of the major reasons I’m leaving is because I want to see my own ideal IP come to form.

“I think The Idolmaster is an example of a strong IP, because it will continue even without me.

“While in the process of speaking with many of the actors/actresses and staff who love The Idolmaster, I felt like it’s already in good hands.”

A new Idolmaster game, The Idolmaster: Platinum Stars, is in development for PlayStation 4. While Ishihara will not direct, series producer Yozo Sakagami is still on board. If you missed it, catch the debut trailer here.

Ishihara directed the original The Idolmaster for arcade, The Idolmaster Live For You! for Xbox 360, The Idolmaster SP for PSP, The Idolmaster 2 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and The Idolmaster One For All for PlayStation 3.